Mineral 
Resources. . 

OF 

— Kansas. 

<Z> 

*2 


Per annum. 

Lead and Zinc Ores, . . . $1,000,000 


Metallic Zinc, .. 2,250 000 

Coal. 4,000,000 

Building Stone,. 500,000 

Salt, . 750,000 

Plaster and Cement, . . . 350,000 

Oil and Natural Gas, . . . 60,000 

Clays,. 250,000 

Mineral Paints, . 100,000 


Grand total, • . • $9,260,000 
















The Mineral Resources 
of Kansas. 


Introduction. 

It is our intention in these few pages to present in a plain and 
convenient form a few facts and figures concerning the great nat¬ 
ural wealth our State possesses beneath her soil. The name Kan¬ 
sas, for years, has carried with it the thought of unsurpassed yields 
of wheat, oats, and corn; of broad prairies, studded with houses 
and barns of the agriculturist and stock raiser; of great pastures 
traversed by sparkling brooks and beautiful streams, the banks 
of which are continuously echoing and reechoing the lowing of the 
herd, the bleating of the flock, and the neighing of the horse. 
But the world at large has no conception of our great mineral 
wealth, which, in the near future, is destined to place us in the 
front ranks as a mining State. 

Not only are our ores and other products of the mine practi¬ 
cally inexhaustible, but the variety of products our State affords 
is great. We have lead ores and zinc ores, with mammoth smelt¬ 
ers for their reduction; we have coal, and salt, and gypsum; we 
have ochers of many kinds, from the light, golden ocher of the 
Saline river district, to the rich, heavy varieties of many other 
places; we have building stone of great variety and beauty scat¬ 
tered all over our State; we have clays of all grades, from the 
pure fire clay to the best grades for the manufacture of vitrified 
brick; we have asphaltum, and mineral oils, and natural gas, 
each of which has been found in limited quantities, with good in¬ 
dications that careful and intelligent investigation would reveal 
much more. 

To any and all of these great natural resources we invite th^ 



4 


attention of capitalists. We pride ourselves, not so much on 
what we have done as in what the future has in store for us. We 
invite capital to visit us, firmly believing that she can reap rich 
dividends for herself, and knowing that at the same time our citi¬ 
zens and our State will also be greatly benefited. Our wealth is 
here in unlimited quantities, and we cordially invite you to come 
and share it with us. 

For convenience we will follow the order given above in our 
descriptions. In the southeast part of the State, in the very cor¬ 
ner, our lead ores and zinc ores are mined. Almost within a 
stone’s throw, it would seem, to the northwest the vast deposits of 
coal are found, so that our great furnaces and smelters are most 
conveniently located just outside the mines. Farther to the west 
the salt and gypsum are found in quantities sufficient to supply 
the world for millions of years, and yet within easy reach of our 
coal fields. Our building stone is scattered as far and wide as 
the length and breadth of our fair State, while the oil and gas are 
confined to the eastern portions. 


Lead and Zinc Mining. 

$1,000,000 per Annum. 

The only portion of our State which has produced any nota¬ 
ble quantities of these ores is the extreme southeast — the vicin¬ 
ity of Galena, so that a description and history of Galena is a 
description and history of lead and zinc mining in Kansas. It 
was early in the spring of 1876 that a fortunate well digger in 
the Short creek valley chanced to make a rich discovery of lead 
ore in the place now known as Bonanza. Excitement spread like 
wildfire, and soon rich operators were becoming richer by the 
successful operation of their mines. The following spring, 1877, 
the same lucky prospector made a much richer “find” a mile fur¬ 
ther up the creek to the east, and from that day to the present 
time mining operations have been increasing, and the annual out¬ 
put has, in general, steadily advanced, until in 1892 the cash 
value at the mines of the total output was nearly a million dol¬ 
lars, and it now looks as though for 1893 the figures would reach 

a MILLION AND A QUARTER! 

The ores occur in a limestone and a flint rock, or chert, but 



5 


principally in the latter, so that the waste from the crushing and 
separating mills is a very superior material for road making, rail¬ 
road ballast, and the finer grades for sand to be used in plaster¬ 
ing and masonry. Thousands upon thousands of car loads of 
this material are shipped from Galena every year, and each load 
leaves a certain amount of ready cash behind. But the beautiful 
little city of Galena itself deserves further description. 

Galena, situated in the county of Cherokee, in the southeast 
corner of the most southeastern county of the State, contains 
within a radius of three miles the richest lead and zinc deposits 
found in the United States. Galena, unpretending and unassum¬ 
ing, has risen from a mining camp, in 1877, with tents and shan 
ties for dwellings, to a first-class little city, with all the comforts 
of modern civilization—good streets, waterworks, electric light, 
substantial business and dwelling houses, opera and public-school 
buildings; and its business men, mine operators and miners, me¬ 
chanics and artisans, are a class of people liberal hearted and 
social, whose energy and push and money-making faculties have 
become proverbial. 

The city and adjacent ground now being mined has a popula¬ 
tion of 6,000, and the disbursement of from $15,000 to $30,000 
every Saturday evening (pay day) from the sale of lead and zinc 
ores distributes wealth and happiness among its people. 

We copy the following description of Galena from the Illus¬ 
trated West and South , issued in 1892: 

“South of Short creek, on the hillside, lies Galena, with its 
5,000 people, imposing public-school buildings, its stately water 
tower, handsome opera house, far-reaching business avenue, never- 
ending and ever-changing panorama of derricks, shafts, concen¬ 
trating mills, crushers, jigs, steam pumps, flumes, smelters, sludge 
mills, foundries, engine houses, smokestacks, railway sidings, cars, 
dumps, endless and interminable piles of rock, gravel, and mineral, 
and endless movements of mineral-laden wagons and carts, that 
mark to-day the busiest and most prosperous town in the ‘Sun¬ 
flower State,’ and doubtless the richest lead- and zinc-mining town 
in the Southwest. In proof of this strong statement, it is esti¬ 
mated, on good authority, that within less than 15 years, or during 
the mining history of this camp, upwards of twelve million 
dollars’ worth of lead ores and zinc ores have been mined and 
marketed within a radius of 21 miles of the Galena post office' 


6 


la this connection, I beg to remind the reader that if the pres¬ 
ent value of zinc ores had obtained through the earlier mining 
operations on Short creek, when that now valuable commodity 
was practically worthless and went into the waste dumps, the 
grand total value of the mineral output would have closely ap¬ 
proximated $20,000,000. 

“While single mines in other districts, like that of the Center 
Creek mine at Webb City, have been very remarkable for output, 
no camp, or local district, in all the famous lead- and zinc-mining 
experience of the country presents a parallel to this locality either 
in respect to the general success of mining enterprise or the com¬ 
parative uniformity of richness of the territory thus far developed. 
On all of the principal mining properties, varying in extent from 
10 to 200 acres, that constitute the Galena district so far as de¬ 
veloped, rich finds have rewarded a large per cent, of the oper¬ 
ators. To uncover paying or rich mineral in Galena is not a 
matter of good luck altogether, as in many other districts. Every 
tract so far developed has handsomely paying mines, from the 
marvelously rich lodes of theSouthside Mining and Manfacturing 
Company, within a stone’s throw of the business quarter, to the 
Stanley camp, 21 miles southwest; eastward a full mile, to the new 
works at the State line; northward, over and beyond the Empire 
City tract, and well to the southward, extend the golden lines of 
steady and increasing production, and from present indications 
it is only a question of time when the mining radius will have 
doubled and the output doubled in quantity. 

“They are mining everywhere at Galena; out on the hills, 
along the slopes, down in the low-lying valleys, in the fields and 
woods, and under the very town itself. The entire town site is 
laid in mining lota of 200 feet square, and they are all under lease 
to practical miners. Better still, most of them are under tribute 
to the miner’s pick and shovel for 52 weeks of the calendar year, 
and for 300 days of the year more or less mineral is lifted from 
lodes and levels that reach out under every part of the city. 

“The mining, crushing, smelting and shipping of lead and zinc 
ores are the all absorbing occupation of the day and location. 
They are the disturbing element in Galena mathematics, and enter 
into the calculations of the landowner, money lender, merchant, 
lessee, and home builder, the prayers of the clergy, the speeches 
of the politician, the glowing promises of the susceptible lover, 
the greed for land, and the love of gold. 


7 


“The race for fortune in Galena mining is not to the rich alone, 
or the poorest miner, whose only capital are his muscle, empty 
hands, pick, shovel, rope, windlass, and bucket, without a dollar 
of cash in hand, may secure a lease, sink his shaft, and in 10, 20 
or 30 days, before his credit for provisions is exhausted, be paying 
royalties to his lessor on a lead of mineral that will make him from 
$2,000 to $10,000. With this stake he makes the most of his 
opportunities, and soon enough becomes a proprietary operator, 
with men, derricks, engines and other potent forces at his com¬ 
mand. Not every miner attains this good fortune, but there are 
hundreds of instances in this district where poor men have ac¬ 
quired competency and fortune, with only good heart and muscle 
to begin with, and there will be hundreds of like instances to the 
end of the chapter. The entire district is as ample in opportu¬ 
nity to honest, earnest, persistent miners, as when the first shout 
of triumph was given by the lucky pioneers on Short creek, less 
than 15 years ago. 

“Time and experience bring changes in every locality, in every 
enterprise. Fortunate, indeed, is that enterprise, the changes in 
which are always for the better. Galena can boast of that good 
fortune. The city is rapidly changing from the old mining-camp 
aspect to one of solid, new business houses and pretty homes. 
Henceforth Galena will be known and characterized as a city of 
beautiful homes, refined social life, and superior schools. 

“The business quarter is undergoing equally marked improve¬ 
ment. Under the stimulus of good prices for mineral, every one 
of the dozen or more principal mining tracts in and about the 
city is in a state of unusual activity. 

“ The Southside Mining and Manufacturing Company, with a 
capital of $560,000, under the direction of Col. W. B. Stone, its 
chief owner and manager, is pushing work with great energy and 
success on its 160-acre tract adjoining the city. Of this tract, 80 
acres have produced more zinc ore than any other tract of equal 
extent in the world. In 1888, this tract produced 45,459,910 
pounds of rough zinc ore, 3,214,800 pounds of clean nugget zinc 
ore, and 1,272,971 pounds of lead ore. 

“The new and rich discoveries constantly being made, and the 
new levels and lodes being opened, settle, beyond question, the 
enormous and permanent mineral wealth of this wondrous tract, 
which has already made money enough to found a dozen national 


8 


banks, and, under the sagacious and admirable management of 
Colonel Stone, is destined to double its present rate of produc¬ 
tion. 

“The Galena Lead and Zinc Company is one of the wealthiest 
interested in the Galena region. It was the first company organ¬ 
ized, and owns 340 acres of land, including the town site of Ga¬ 
lena. The members of the company are: Ed. Zelliken, L. Risling, 
A. C. Spring, Hendricks Bros., and August Roos, with Peter Rice 
as superintendent. 

“ It is a valuable tract, producing largely of lead ore, and has 
made all these men rich. They now have about 126 shafts on 
the tract, and are turning out large quantities of lead and zinc 
ores. 

“Conner & Brewster own and operate 80 acres southeast of 
the city, which has long been one of the best producers of the 
district. They have recently put in new machinery and enlarged 
their pumping plant, so that in the future theirs will be one of 
the most productive of any land on Short creek. They are now 
prospecting deeper than they have ever done before — below 100 
feet — and find the ore in heavier lodes than any formerly found 
on this tract. This land has made a fortune for its owners, and 
is yet in its infancy as an ore producer. 

“The Windsor Company owns 63 acres just north of Galena, 
in Empire, which is proving to^be one of the most valuable tracts 
in the region. Its owners are: L. Risling, Ed. Zelliken, A. C. 
Spring, Dr. J. K. Williams, M. Robeson, and E. St. Geo. Noble. 
This land has been just recently developed, and is already one of 
the leading lead and zinc producers. 

“The Maggie Taylor land, 40 acres, in the southeast part of 
the city, is one of the early pieces of land developed on the creek, 
and is one of the richest tracts in Galena, and has always been a 
profitable tract for the operators who have developed it, and has 
made a fortune for its owner, Mr. T. W. Bayne. More work is 
now being done on this land, and it will certainly be a leader in 
ore production in the future. 

“The Illinois Lead and Zinc Company operates 40 acres 21 
miles southwest of Galena, in what is known as the Stanley dis¬ 
trict, and also 80 acres directly west of Galena, both being profit¬ 
able tracts. 

“The Cornwall Mining and Smelting Company owns and op- 


9 


erates 40 acres, in connection with the Maggie Taylor land, which, 
under the management of J. A. Walbert, has proven a rich pro¬ 
ducer. 

“The Wyandotte Company is operating a 40-acre tract two 
miles southwest of Galena, which is proving a very profitable 
lead and zinc producer. Its owners are F. S. Boice, L. Haines, G. 
Schmuck, E. B. Schermerhorn, E. St. G. Noble, and Abe Schurl. 

“A 120-acre tract, owmed by E. Schermerhorn, H miles south¬ 
west of Galena, has been developed in the last six months, and is 
one of the richest ore-bearing tracts in the district. More devel¬ 
opments have been made on this land, and with better success, 
than any other tract of land in the same length of time. Two 
companies are operating it. 

“01. Sparks, who has leased 10 acres of this land, has shown 
unusual energy and met with uninterrupted success in opening 
it. A dozen shafts have been sunk, and both lead and zinc have 
been found in every shaft. No other tract in Galena can show 
such a record. 

“The Central Mining Company has 20 acres of the Scher¬ 
merhorn land leased, and six acres of the Fry land, adjoining 
this on the east, making in all 26 acres of land, that almost 
equals the 01. Sparks land in productiveness. 

“The Ohio Lead and Zinc Company, owned by B. Cooley & 
Co., of Hutchinson, Kas., with W. T. Botkin superintendent, has 
shown large developments for a single year’s operations. 

“Fortunes in single lots, as heretofore noted, have not been at 
all uncommon in Galena. George Thompson, from a 25 x 100 foot 
lot, took out and sold $40,000 worth of lead ore. In 1889, Scott, 
Noble & Company, without going below the 40-foot level, took 
out over $19,000 worth of lead and zinc ores from a lot 100x100, 
on the Windsor land. The same year, George Anderson took 
out over $33,000 worth of ore from a single mining lot on the 
Galena land. From July, 1890, to January 1, 1891, over $40,- 
000 worth of ore was taken out from the Bandana mine, on the 
Galena Lead and Zinc Company’s land. Carney & Sons took 
out over $40,000 worth of ore from a single mining lot on the 
Galena Lead and Zinc Company’s land. These are only a few 
instances where fortunes have been made on single lots. Many 
more could be given, but want of space forbids. 

“But adjectives are much less powerful in their influence when 


10 


alone than when supported by facts and figures. We therefore 
beg the reader to carefully study the following tables, in order 
that the logic of facts and figures may substantiate the descrip¬ 
tions already given.” 

The following is the output of Galena for the years 1886,1887, 
1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892: 

188G—Lead ore produced, 5,924,284 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 31,768 tons. 

Shipped 1,403 cars of gravel, at $3.19f- per car. 

1887— Lead ore produced, 6,152,380 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 32,795 tons. 

1888— Lead ore produced, 5,248,000 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 33,391 tons. 

1889— Lead ore produced, 7,985,000 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 32,950 tons. 

1890— Lead ore produced, 8,347,927 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 21,675 tons. 

1891— Lead ore produced, 7,204,420 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 20,641 tons. 

Gravel — cars shipped: W. B. Stone, 3,207, at $2.50 per car; 
other parties, 3,500. Total, 6,707. 

1892— Lead ore produced, 14,376,340 pounds. 

Zinc ore produced, 23,811 tons. 

Shipped 5,246 cars of gravel, at $2.50 per car. 


Work done by Concentrating Mills of Galena and 
Empire City, Kas. 


CONCENTBATOBS. 


Rough 
ore milled, 
pounds. 


Zinc ore 
produced, 
pounds. 


Lead ore 
produced, 
pounds. 


James Murphy, No. 1. 

Robt. Crowe. 

Galena Lead and Zinc Company.. 

James Murphy, No. 2. 

W. B. Stone, No. 1. 

W. B. Stone, No. 2. 


23,161.090 

21,374.200 

17,764,840 

11,658,230 

9,014,310 

7,457.040 


Murphy & Murphy 
Clement Company. 
B. Cooley. 


6,875,550 

4,138,370 

2,024,410 


Emmons & Miller. .. 
Wyandotte Company 

The Day. 

Vest & Co. 


* . 

4,075,000 

1,590,250 

746,000 


5,277,510 

6,324,840 

5,006,430 

2,261,800 

1,407,110 

2,179,340 

1,778,940 

874,410 

359,660 

413.990 

664,820 

450.450 

123,000 


217,590 

96,710 

237,360 

107,149 

84,250 

103,240 

58,430 

64,190 

15.920 

38,720 

54,630 

26,890 

6,780 


Totals 


109,879,290 


29,123,500 


1,111,850 


* Not reported. 
























11 


Itemized Report. 

Of Lead and Zino Ores from the Galena and Empire City Mining 
District, for 1892, from Advance Sheets from the Kansas State 
Report on Mines and Mining. 


No. 

acr’s. 

NAME OF COMPANY. 

Zinc ore, 
pounds. 

Lead ore, 
pounds. 

160 

Southside Mining and Mfg. Company, 

7,985,910 

2,386,008 

60 

Central Company. 

5,757,210 

1,980,035 

320 

Galena Lead and Zinc Company. 

4,759,140 

2,061,852 

40 

Battlefield Company. 

2,944,585 

1,044,585 

10 

01. Sparks Company. 

2,260,735 

677,417 

9 

Ohio Lead and Zinc Company. 

2,330,200 

1,033,170 

30 

J. M. Cooper Company. 

1,637,675 

1,475,901 

20 

Crystal Mining Company. 

905,817 

1,000,451 

10 

Sonneberg Mining Company. 

1,403,920 

233,010 

40 

Templar Mining Company. 

748,130 

115,345 

63 

Windsor Mining Company. 

876,050 

122,048 

40 

Empire Mining Company. 

899,032 

196,412 

40 

Illinois Mining Company. 

767,525 

153,887 

40 

Cornwall Mining Company. 

677,630 

113,680 

40 

Maggie Taylor Company. 

151,540 

95,340 

40 

Annie Laurie Company. 

453,180 

64.080 

10 

Queen Bee Company. 

298,800 

10,080 

40 

Grace Clark Company. 

66,090 

72,070 

40 

Folmer Land Company. 

64,000 

59,314 

12 

Harrelson Mining Company. 

14,860 

169,390 

10 

Fahlenbock Company. 


4,020 

40 

Log Cabin Company. 


133,310 

10 

Mississipi Company. 

Galena lots, W. B. Stone. 


114,650 

121,145 

1,039,140 


Neutral lots. 

12,720,749 


Totals. 

47,623,778 

14.376,340 

Zinc 

ore, value of. 


$476,237 78 

Lead ore, value of. 


301,903 14 

Total value of ores. 


$795,350 92 
13,115 00 

Gravel shipped, 5,246 cars; value, $2.50 per car. 

Total value of mine production. 


$808,465 92 

Value of lead ore per 1,000 pounds. 


21 00 

Value of zinc ore per 2,000 pounds. 


20 00 
















































12 


Statement of Output of Ore. 

EETUENS FROM THE MINES OF THE BEAD AND ZINC DISTRICT OF SOUTH¬ 
EAST KANSAS, FOB WEEK ENDING MAT 28, 1893. 

GADENA AND EMPIRE CITY, KAS. 


Lbs. Lbs. 

Perry. 42,840 . 

Murphy No. 2. 132,220 . 

Galena Lead and Zinc Company. 281,470 . 

Murphy & Murphy. 97,050 4,500 

Emmons & Stewart. 151,750 . 

Emmons & Miller. 270,000 . 

W. W. P. Clement. 53,340 44,100 

Southside Mining Company. 18,510 . 

Galena Lead and Zinc Company. 49,330 . 

Ohio Lead and Zinc Mining Company. 22,070 3,540 

Illinois Lead and Zinc Company. 4,000 . 

Boice, Schmuck & Co. 23,510 . 

Templar Company. 18,640 760 

01. Sparks Company. 20,960 10,050 

Grace Clark Company. 172,960 . 

Central Mining Company. 19,740 17,450 

Battlefield Mining Company. 120,000 500,000 

Crystal Company. 15,000 17,000 

Sundries. 290,710 . 

Totals. 1,845,000 590,400 

Value, $31,538. 


It will be seen that thus far in the year 1893 the mineral output 
is much greater than at any previous time in the history of Ga¬ 
lena, substantiating the belief that our mines are continuously 
becoming better. 

Opportunities for investment are as ample and promising as at 
any period in the history of local mining. The visiting capital¬ 
ist, desirous for investment in lands or leases, pays more for less 
acres than the fortunate purchasers of an earlier day, when only 
superficial mining and fluctuating values of mineral gave guar¬ 
anty of profit on his investment; but he has the advantage of 
the more certain, secure and ample returns growing out of the 
better markets and higher prices for mineral and more thorough 
and improved methods of mining. Indeed, there is hardly a 
chance for failure to the investor in mineral-bearing lands at cur¬ 
rent values anywhere in the district. 

The steady advance in land values and leases has been so 



































13 


marked, steady and strong for the past five years, and so evi¬ 
dently in keeping with the rapidly-increasing output of mineral, 
consequent upon the later and better methods and appliances of 
mining, that the investor, though blindfolded, might safely place 
almost any amount of money in lands or leases, with the cer¬ 
tainty of doubling his capital in three years. Behind him are a 
dozen years of crude and superficial mining, resulting in as many 
million dollars’ worth of mineral, with few serious drawbacks to 
the camp and city. Before him is a rich, round, full century of 
deep, systematic, thorough mining from lower levels, disclosing a 
wealth of mineral never dreamed of by the older miners, and 
rich in golden promise to the city and district. 


Zinc Smelting. 

$2,250,000 per Annum. 

The proximity of the rich Kansas coal fields to the southwest 
Missouri mining district caused the erection of zinc smelting 
works at Weir City in 1873, long before zinc ore was mined in 
the State. With the increasing market for spelter (metallic zinc), 
due largely to the extra demand for galvanized sheet iron and 
iron wire, the zinc industry has increased with wonderful rapidity 
during the last quarter century. 

One of the peculiar properties of zinc ore, which places it in 
strong contrast with lead ore, is the difficulty with which it is 
smelted, or reduced to the metallic state. An average of three 
tons of coal is required to smelt one ton of the ore, and therefore 
our zinc smelters are nearly all located in the coal-mining district. 
From the small beginning of the four furnaces erected at Weir 
City in 1873, the number has steadily increased, until at the pres¬ 
ent time no less than 76 furnaces are now located in the State. 
When in active operation a furnace will yield from 2,100 pounds 
to 2,750 pounds of spelter per day. During the past year the 
combined output of our furnaces reached over 56,000,000 pounds, 
or more than 28,000 tons, which had a cash value at the smelter 
of fully $2,250,000. 

In the creation of this enormous value, over 56,000 tons of ore 
were used, a great portion of which came from our own mines; 



14 


from 160,000 to 170,000 tons of coal were consumed, which placed 
fully $350,000 in the hands of our coal operators from this source 
alone; 1,200 men were directly employed at wages which aver¬ 
aged not less than $2 per day, making about $430,000 paid out 
for wages. Deducting the value of the raw material — ore and 
coal—it will be seen that there is fully $1,000,000 per year left 
for wages, repairs, etc., which represents the actual amount of 
money brought into our State by this one industry. This, added 
to the $1,000,000 a year for the product of the lead and zinc 
mines, and the more than $2,000,000 a year for the coal output 
in Cherokee and Crawford counties, makes the southeast part of 
Kansas almost the richest mining country in the world. 

It will probably be a great surprise to many to learn that Kan¬ 
sas—the great agricultural and stock-raising State of Kansas—oc¬ 
cupies so important a place in the mining and metallurgical world. 
But such is the case. Pittsburg, Kas., is to-day the greatest zinc¬ 
smelting town in the world, with Weir City a close follower, while 
Girard, Scammon and Galena are following not far behind. Illi¬ 
nois is the only other State that at all compares with us in zinc 
smelting. According to the tables given in Doctor Day’s “ Min¬ 
eral Resources of the United States” (a governmental publica¬ 
tion), during the first six months of 1892 the spelter output for 
America was as follows: 


Short T ns. 

Illinois. 15,483 

Kansas. 14,161 

Missouri. 8,954 


Short Tons. 

Eastern and Southern 
States. 6,901 


It is learned unofficially that during the last half of the year 
our increase was sufficient to place us ahead of Illinois for the 
year, making us the leading State in the Union for the produc¬ 
tion of spelter. It will be seen from the above table that we pro¬ 
duce nearly one-third of all the spelter of America. The output 
in foreign countries in 1891 was about 320,000 short tons, as 
against 91,000 tons produced by America. It will therefore be 
seen that fully one-fourteenth of all the zinc produced in the 
world is smelted on Kansas soil. 







15 


Coal. 


$4,000,000 per Annum. 


Nineteen different counties in Kansas produce marketable coal, 
with an aggregate annual output of about 2,753,725 tons, which 
has a cash value at the mines of nearly $4,000,000, for the pro¬ 
duction of which 8,950 men are employed annually. The coal is 
all bituminous, or “soft,” coal, and occurs in veins from 20 inches 
to 60 inches in thickness. The best coal bed is in the southeast 
part of the State, and is known as “Cherokee” coal. It is exten¬ 
sively mined in both Cherokee and Crawford counties, which pro¬ 
duce over 60 per cent, of the total output of the State. Further 
to the north and west one meets with numerous other beds, such 
as the Fort Scott coal, the La Cygne coal, the Pleasanton coal, 
the Osage City and Scranton coal, and the Leavenworth coal. 
The coal seams at Leavenworth and Scranton are about 22 inches 
thick, while the Cherokee coal vein is 42 inches thick upon the 
average, and much thicker in places. 

Although 19 different counties are coal producing, four coun¬ 
ties produce over 93 per cent, of the whole output. In 1891, the 
rank was as follows: Crawford, 33.56 per cent.; Cherokee, 32.50 
per cent.; Osage, 17.10 per cent.; and Leavenworth, 10.60 per 
cent. 

As zinc smelting, salt refining and other manufacturing in¬ 
terests increase, the demand for good, cheap fuel has a corre¬ 
sponding increase, and our bounteous supply of coal meets every 
demand. The following table, taken from the last report of the 
State Mine Inspector, illustrates this: 


Tons. 

1885 . 1,440,057 

1886 . 1,390,000 

1887 . 1,570,079 

1888 . 1,700,000 


Tons. 

1889 . 2,152,760 

1890 . 2,516,054 

1891 . 2,753,725 


The estimated value of the output for 1891 is $3,946,920. 
According to the statistics given in “Mineral Resources” for 
1891, there are but 10 States in the Union which have a heavier 
annual output of bituminous coal than Kansas, and but seven 
the output of which has a greater market value at the mines. 
Indiana, Maryland and Kentucky each has a little heavier annual 










16 


output than we, but their proximity to the great coal fields of 
Ohio and Pennsylvania affects the price of coal. But the great¬ 
est surprise is met with by comparing ourselves with our neighbor, 
Missouri—the great mining State of Missouri! Not only do we 
almost double her output of spelter, but our coal fields surpass 
hers in annual output year after year, both in quantity and value. 

The area of our coal fields is confined to the eastern third of, 
the State, many portions of which have been so poorly prospected 
that there are many chances for valuable beds of coal yet to be 
discovered. Just as this article is going to press, a report comes 
that a vein of good coal has been discovered in Anderson county. 
Whether this report should prove to be true or not, it indicates 
what the possibilities are, for any portion of the 20,000 square 
miles or more above mentioned is liable to become coal producing. 
A little money expended in judicious prospecting almost certainly 
would yield good returns. 

The quality of our coal is fully equal to the average soft coal 
produced in the Mississippi valley. The chemical composition of 
the Cherokee coal compares very favorably w r ith the Pittsburg, 
Pa., bituminous coal, as is shown by the following analysis made 
by Prof. E. H. S. Bailey, of the State University: 

Cherokee. Pittsburg, Pa. 

Water. 1.94 1.81 

Volatile. 36.77 36.61 

Fixed carbon. 52.45 54.17 

Ash. 8.84 7.91 

The steam-producing power of the Kansas coal has also been 
elaborately tested by Professor Blake, of the State University; an 
average of tests of nine different samples gave the figures 13.51. 
The best Indiana block coal gave a result of 14.43. These figures 
confirm the statement that our coals are good steam producers. 

Coke. — But little coke is made in the State, excepting that 
required for zinc smelting, yet we rank twelfth as a coke-produc¬ 
ing State. In 1891 our product was worth $33,000. For the 
manufacture of this more than 27,000 tons of coal were used — 

mostly slack, which until recently has been thrown away. The 

per cent, of coke a coal will make is a good test for the quality of 
the coal. The summaries given in “Mineral Resources” shows 
that the average per cent, of coke obtained, during a period of 12 
years, is 59.75 per cent., with a maximum of 65 per cent., and a 






17 


minimum of 52 per cent. This showing compares very favorably 
with coking coal from other places. 

It will be seen from the above that the coal mines of Kansas 
have a very heavy output, and that the yield is rapidly becom¬ 
ing greater; that we are already in advance of three-fourths the 
States and Territories as a coal producer; and that the average of 
our coal has a quality equal that of the best coal in the Missis¬ 
sippi valley. Our broad domain of unexplored lands invites you 
to come and investigate them. 


Building Stone. 

$500,000 per Annum. 

Kansas is well supplied with building stone. The principal 
varieties are sandstone, white limestone, and a very compact lime¬ 
stone, susceptible of a high polish, which locally is often called 
marble. The sandstones and shaly limestones are most noted for 
the excellent flagstones they produce. In many places in Chero¬ 
kee, Bourbon and other counties, sandstone flags can readily be 
obtained 30 feet square, and almost as smooth as a floor, could 
proper mechanical devices be obtained for handling them. Such 
layers of rock vary from two to six inches in thickness, and in 
places are found one layer above another for a depth of 15 or 20 
feet. In other places the sandstone layers are much thicker, so 
that they can be worked for dimension stone to a good advantage. 
A particularly fine building, erected from such stone, is the bank 
building in Columbus, Cherokee county. 

The limestone of the State is much more abundant than the 
sandstone. The coal-measure area of the eastern portion has 
several different beds of good stone, the best of which, perhaps, 
is the subcarboniferous crinoidal limestone of Galena. This ex¬ 
cellent rock is used locally for foundations and other similar 
purposes, but is worthy of much more extended use. It is the 
most solid, compact stone in the State, and occurs in beds four to 
eight feet thick, so that it could be worked to good advantage for 
dimension stone. 

West of this, the most notable limestone bed is the one worked 
extensively at Lane, in Franklin county, Iola, in Allen county, 
and in other places. The rock is a compact limestone, which 



18 


makes excellent dimension stone, and takes a fine polish, for 
which reason it is often called marble. The most extensive 
quarry is at Iola, where many thousand dollars’ worth of stone 
are quarried annually. 

Still farther to the west, the famous Cottonwood Falls limestone 
is found. This is the most extensive limestone bed in the State, 
and can be traced as one continuous formation across the State 
from north to south. In different places it furnishes a most ex¬ 
cellent building stone, while at intervals it is not so valuable. It 
is worked extensively at Manhattan, Junction City, Alma, Strong 
City, Florence, Augusta, Winfield, and Arkansas City, and good 
quarries could be opened in many other places. 

Beyond this, to the west, limestone and sandstone of different 
grades are worked locally to a considerable extent. In some of 
the western counties, where such stone is easily obtained, fence 
posts are made of it for building wire fence. When passing 
through these portions, one can easily see from the car window 
many miles of such fencing, the regular size and form of the stone 
posts witnessing to the ease with which such stone can be worked. 

It is exceedingly difficult to form reliable estimates of the value 
of the quarry output from year to year, on account of the large 
number of small quarries which supply local demand only. In 
“Mineral Resources of the United States,” for 1891, the estimated 
value is $80,000 for sandstone, and $300,000 for limestone. It is 
quite evident, however, that this is much too small an estimate, for 
the reason given above. It is more nearly correct to place the 
figures for all kinds of rock produced in the State at $500,000. 
The main point which it is desirable to emphasize in this connec¬ 
tion is, not how much has been produced, but how much can be 
produced. From the foregoing statements, it can readily be seen, 
that were enough capital invested, millions of dollars per year 
could be produced. 


19 


Salt. 

$780,000 per Annum. 

We have no excuse to offer for claiming that we have the lar¬ 
gest and best deposit of salt in America. The south-central part 
of our State is underlain with 300 feet of salt. The area is known 
to contain at least 2,000 square miles, with a strong probability 
that it is much larger. The vastness of the area is such that the 
actual increase in the price of land known to contain salt is but 
little. 

It was as recently as 1889 that the first Kansas salt was placed 
on the market, when about $200,000 worth was sold. The an¬ 
nual output has increased until 1892, when, it is estimated, no 
Kss than $780,000 was obtained from salt sales. The salt is all 
originally rock salt. At Kanopolis, Lyons, and Kingman, it is 
mined in this form; that is, it is brought to the surface in the 
solid form, just as it occurs in nature, and is sold in large lumps, 
for stock, or is crushed and sent into the market as grain salt. 
The Lyons Rock Salt Company perhaps has the heaviest output 
of this kind of salt. The capacity of their plant is 1,000 tons 
per day, but they reach only about one-fourth their capacity. 
Reckoning the salt at $1.25 per ton they have a daily output of 
$300, which is equal to $90,000 per year. The other rock-salt 
companies in the State probably equal this, making $180,000 per 
year for rock salt. 

Much the largest amount of salt, however, is made by what 
may be called the “wet process.” Holes are drilled into the salt 
and water forced down, which is again lifted after it has become 
saturated with salt. It is then evaporated, the same as brines usu¬ 
ally are. The most extensive works of this kind are located at 
Hutchinson, although others can be found at Sterling, Nickerson, 
Kingman, Anthony, and Wellington. A liberal estimate places 
the output for this kind of salt at 1,000,000 barrels for 1892 ? 
which is worth about 60 cents per barrel at the factory. The 
$600,000 thus obtained is quite irregularly scattered, for about 90 
per cent of it goes to Hutchinson. 

In the production of the 1,000,000 barrels, about $200,000 is 
paid out for labor, and $150,000 for coal — Kansas coal. The 
Kansas Salt Company, at Hutchinson, is making a specialty of 


20 


table salt, which they have named the R. S. V. P. The purity of 
the salt is such, and their methods of evaporation are so superior, 
that they have succeeded in producing a table salt which will not 
gather moisture nor cake, a difficulty which has heretofore always 
bothered salt consumers. The Hutchinson Salt Company is mak¬ 
ing a specialty of dairy salt. It has been thoroughly tested, both 
by chemical analysis and by placing butter salted with it in cold 
storage for three, six and nine months, which is one of the severest 
tests that can be given dairy salt. In every instance it has stood 
the test so well that it can be said that no superior dairy salt can 
be found on the markets. 

The salt in its natural condition is unusually pure. Chemical 
analysis has shown that some of it has as much as 99.87 per cent, 
pure salt, with an average for the mass as it is brought to the sur¬ 
face of considerably over 97 per cent. The nature of the impuri¬ 
ties, too, is important. If a salt has much magnesium chloride, or 
calcium chloride, it will attract moisture from the air, or “sweat.” 
Kansas salt has surprisingly little of either of these, so that it is 
perfectly dry in most climates. This is well illustrated by the 
rock salt from Lyons which is now on exhibition at the World’s 
Fair, in the mining building. Although unloaded in the rain, 
during the unusually damp weather at the last of April, the mam- 
moth-sized pieces have all dried off, and now are perfectly dry. 
No better recommendation for the salt could be given. 

Kansas has salt enough to supply the world for a million years. 


Plasters. 

$350,000 per Annum. 

To those well informed on the subject it would be no surprise 
should the future demonstrate that one of the greatest repositories 
of wealth in the State is to be found in the vast deposits of gyp¬ 
sum so extensively met with in Kansas. So far as quantity and 
quality are concerned we can supply the world for centuries. 
Gypsum is found almost everywhere over the central and western 
part of the State, from the north to the south line. It is already 
profitably worked into plaster in many different places, and yields 
a heavy revenue to our State. Accurate figures have not been 



21 


compiled, but a conservative estimate would be that no less than 
$350,000 worth of the different kinds of plaster is produced an¬ 
nually, with a steady increase from year to year. 

The works now in operation are located in different places 
along the eastern limit of the gypsum beds, from Blue Rapids, 
near the north line of the State, to Medicine Lodge, in Barber 
county. At Blue Rapids, the output has increased from 20,000 
barrels in 1889, to 30,000 barrels in 1892. At Hope, the Hope 
Stucco Works have a daily capacity of 20 tons, and the factories 
at Swayne and at Dillon produce about the same amount. Near 
Salina, two companies are in active operation, the Acme, and the 
Salina Plaster Company. The former of these ships its products, 
in car-load lots, to points as far away as Boston, New York, New 
Orleans, Oregon, British Columbia, and Canada. Its output is 
by far the heaviest of any in the State. The Salina Plaster Com¬ 
pany was but recently organized, but it probably will do a very 
extensive business. At Medicine Lodge, a company is manufac¬ 
turing an American brand of the celebrated Keene cement, which 
differs from ordinary plaster of Paris in being much finer, much 
more slowly to “set,” thereby giving opportunity for better work, 
and in producing a superior wall, one that will not so readily 
crack or become dull. They are introducing it into all of our 
large cities for large and fine buildings, and therefore their out¬ 
put has been governed entirely by their ability to get the leading 
architects to adopt it. It is gratifying to learn that they have 
finally succeeded in placing it upon the market in such a manner 
that it will be sure to stay. In support of this view the following 


figures may be given. 

Best’s Keene’s cement produced in 1891. 203 tons. 

Best’s Keene’s cement produced first half of 1892. 345 tons. 

Best’s Keene’s cement produced second half of 1892. 490 tons. 

Other products by same company, 1891. 147 tons. 

Other products by same company, 1892. 565 tons. 


Everything indicates that their output for 1893 will far sur¬ 
pass that of 1892, so that the one firm will likely do a $50,000 
business this year. 

When it is remembered that there are scores of locations al¬ 
most if not quite equally favorable for the location of cement fac¬ 
tories, one can readily form some idea of the vast possibilities for 
capital invested in this line. Our gypsum, of the purest varieties, 







22 


exists in beds from 10 to 60 feet thick, and can be blasted and 
quarried the same as stone, so that anyone can readily supply 
himself with the raw material. 


Oil and Natural Gas. 

$60,000 per Annum. 

Thus far in our history we have made but little claim to be¬ 
ing a producer of these two products. But prospecting during 
recent years has shown, unmistakably, that we possess them to a 
certainty, and quite probably in sufficiently great quantity to be 
of vast commercial importance. For over 20 years a few wells 
have been producing gas. Our knowledge of the existence of 
oil in our State is nearly half as old. 

Paola, in Miami county, is the center of the oil fields. Quite 
a number of wells have been bored in that vicinity, different ones 
of which have produced a good quality of heavy oils. In 1889, 
there were produced 500 barrels; in 1890, the number had in¬ 
creased to 1,200 barrels, and during 1891, no less than 1,400 
barrels were produced, with a cash value between $9,000 and 
$10,000. This is a small sum when compared with the product 
of Pennsylvania or Ohio, but it clearly indicates that our State 
may yet become noted as an oil producer. 

The natural gas seems to be most abundant, and correspond¬ 
ingly of greater value. It is found over a considerable portion 
of the southeast part of the State, and is now in extensive use 
in Paola, Cherry Vale, Osawatomie, Iola, Humboldt, and Coffey - 
ville, replacing other fuel in the kitchen, parlor, workshop, and 
factory. A liberal estimate is that it replaces not less than 15,- 
000 tons of coal annually at present, with fair prospects for its 
rapid increase in the near future. The best wells in the State 
have been bored during the last 12 months, some of which give 
a pressure of over 200 pounds per square inch. One well at 
Cherry Yale has yielded as high as 4,750,000 cubic feet per day. 
It is generally admitted that the new wells at Coffeyville are the 
most productive in the State. 

With such flattering results already obtained, what may we 
reasonably hope for the future! It is not a remote possibility 



23 


that the great mining, manufacturing and smelting interests, al¬ 
ready described as being so prosperous in southeastern Kansas, 
will soon be stimulated by the mighty roar of the gas well, and 
that commercial prosperity resulting therefrom will spread its 
beneficial influence all over the State. 










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